Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell watched Vitali Klitschko systematically destroy Tomasz Adamek last week in another boring, lifeless, heavyweight championship fight. He knows that the road he is traveling as a heavyweight contender will likely lead to one of the Klitschko brothers — Vitali or Wladimir, who holds another one of the versions of the heavyweight title.
“I plan on being the best in the heavyweight division,” said Mitchell, a former Michigan State University linebacker turned heavyweight boxer from Brandywine, Md. “When the time comes, then I will probably have to fight one of them.”
The time can’t come soon enough for American fight fans.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Mitchell — undefeated with a record of 22-0-1 and 16 knockouts — will take a step in that direction Friday night when he faces Hector “Hurricane” Ferreyro (21-10-2, 12 knockouts) in a scheduled 10-round bout at Texas Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on the eve of the battle between Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The former Gwynn Park High School football standout is among the few hopes to revive the dormant division, now dominated by plodding, methodical Eastern European fighters.
Boxing desperately needs an American heavyweight. Mitchell knows that, and he is trying to put himself in a position to be that fighter.
“I understand that,” he said. “But I don’t let it get to me. I believe I have the tools to be very successful, but I am just trying to stay humble and work hard. I won’t beat myself. I am trying to learn as much as I can.”
“Learn” is the key word here because Mitchell, at 29, has the speed-reading version of a boxing background. After his football career ended at Michigan State, he watched Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski step in the ring when he was back at Notre Dame in 2006 and was inspired to do the same.
So at 24 years old, Mitchell began as an amateur, facing more experienced opponents, and went 9-1 and turned professional in 2008.
After winning his first two fights, including a first-round knockout, Mitchell was signed by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. He has been moving up the ranks ever since.
Mitchell, trained by Andre Hunter at Gym Dream Team in Clinton, Md., and managed by Sharif Salim, was supposed to make his HBO debut last month on an undercard but that show was called off. So now Mitchell will appear on two networks Friday night — Fox Sports Net and the Spanish-language Telefutura.
He is on the brink of contention.
At the end of Vitali Klitschko’s dismantling of Adamek last week, HBO’s Jim Lampley said, “Another one-sided fight in favor of a Klitschko. What’s new?”
Mitchell is new. We are about to see if he can be the best.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
